The National tribune., 1887-01-06
SHERMAN AND LOGAN.


Gen. Loganis death TO make public a most
interesting correspondence which passed be-
tween them in 1888 relative to the reasons
which induced the former to prefer Gen. o.
q. Howard for commander Of the Army Of
the Tennessee after the death OF Gen. Nc
Pherson. We need not tell the readers of
THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE how much Of a
mystery this action of Sherman's has always
been to the soldiers of the Western armies.
There was but one voice in the Army Of the
Tennessee as to who was the proper successor
TO Mcpherson. Logan had been with the
Army from the time il fired its first shots at
Belmont He was in every one of its battles
except Shiloh, from which he was kept by
the wound received at Donelson. He had
always distinguished himself and had been
invariably successful, whether commanding
a regiment, a brigade, q division, corps, or
the Army. He had shown eminent fitness
for the command Of the Army by his bril-
liantly-skillful management in the terrible
battle before Atlanta on the 22d of July.
AT that time he WAS the senior officer in the
Army Of the Tennessee, and the promotion
was due him for that reason.
Instead, Gen. Sherman advised the Presi-
dent to assign to the command Gen. o. o.
Howard, most Of whose service had been
with the Army Of the Potomac, and who
had come West the preceding Autumn as
commander Of the Eleventh Corps The
President did as Sherman advised, and
Logan, though smarting under q slight
which few, if any, officers educated in the
Regular Army would have endured, re,
turned to the command of the Fifteenth
Corps and continued to fight with unabated
zeal. Nothing could be more loyal than the
support he gave Sherman and Howard tc
the end of the campaign.
In 1888, when Gen. Sherman was retired
from the command of the Army Of the
United States, he was given a complimentary
banquet by Col. Corkhill, which was attended
by number Of the most distinguished men
in the Nation. In responding 10 the toast Of
"The Volunteer Soldier" Gen. Logan took
occasion TO pay an eloquent tribute to Gen
Sherman.
This touched the old General deeply, and
on Sunday, Feb. IL, 1ss3-a few days after
the banquet, he wrote long letter, in which
he still adhered TO the obnoxious word
politics which he associated with the
names Of Gems. Logan and Blair, but
earnestly disclaimed any intention Of max
ing such an epithet offensive. He said that
no man in the Nation held Logan in higher
honor than he did, or admired more his
course from the hour when the firing on
Fort Sumter showed that the South really
meant war. "Your course" he said, was
manly, patriotic, sublime. Throughout the
war / know of no single mans career more
complete than yours"
He then went on TO discuss the reasons
which actuated him TO the course complained
Of In the first place Logan had gone
North after the fall of yicksburg, and
the army had marched from Memphis
TO Chattanooga, 400 miles, through mud
and water, without him, but he had
returned with Presidential order
assigning him to the command Of the Fiji
teenth Corps. AT Missionary Ridge and
Knoxville Howard served with Sherman
and when the latter went on the Meridian
raid, Logan was left with the Fifteenth Corps
along the road from Stevenson TO Decatur
During Sherman's three months of absence
a serious dispute arose between Thomas and
Logan, owing to the former-as claimed by
the latter-claiming everything for the
Army of the Cumberland, and treating the
Army Of the Tennessee shabbily with refer.
ence 10 the use Of railroads, filling requisi
tons al depots, etc. On Shermans return ht
sided with Logan, and issued an order put
ting all army and corps commanders OF
equality in this respect, a procedure tina
greatly incensed Gen. Thomas, who wa
sensitive on this matter, against Gen. Logan
Logan had repeatedly gone to Illinois ant
elsewhere to make speeches, and after tn
fall of Atlanta went North for this purpose
and did not get back to the army until i
left for Savannah.
Gen. Sherman went on TO say that he neve
questioned the right or propriety Of 20,
and Blair holding fast TO your constituenc
by the usual methods. But ii dil
trouble me to have my corps commander
serving two distinct causes-one militAr
and the other civil or political-and this di
influence me when i was forced to max
choice OF an army commander to succee
McPherson."
Gen. Sherman said, further, that Ger
Thomas being dead he would not say NOR
than that his (Thomas's) strenuous oppos
ton 10 Logan influenced him fisherman
greatly in preferring Howard, who Ia
I shown zeal and ability in the operations